Spring-roller-controlling device



June 24, 1930. w. F. HECKMAN 1,766,746

I SPRING ROLLER CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1929 ATTORNEY.

' relationship.

v to provide control means which are inexpen- Patented June -Z4,h1930- WILLIAM riniiomvm v,drNEwron'r, KENTUCKY, hssienon To THE m n: alt-e.

w'rAo rUnmG oom rnnr, or NnwPoR'r, KENTUCKY, AV'GORPORATION or. wns'r VIR- GINIA.

jia p'plilcation iiled March '1,

My invention has to do with devices for controlling the spring rollers of roll closures, and particularly roll'screens, inconnection with which I- shall describe'apreferred embodiment of my invention, it being understood that it is 'equally adaptable to roll closures of other types. I

In roll screens" there is a spring rol-le'r upon which the screen is wound. This roller is mounted within a housing, usually at the top of a window opening. The free end of the screen passes through a, slit in the housing and is fastened to a draw ortension' bar. By means of -this'bar, which rides in guides at thesidesof the window, the screen cloth may be withdrawn from the housing until it covers the window opening, the-barbeing fastened at the endof its travel or along the guides as desired. This of course, obviates the necessity of a" ratchet mechanism to hold the roller at various positions so that the screen may standat' varyin'g heights,

as is common in-blinds.- Means must be taken, however, to control the minimum tension on the roller softhat the screen, may,

housing. I

It is an object of my invention toprovide a means for controlling the preliminary or minimum tension on the spring roller, which' mfeans shall-form part of the mounting there- O.

It is an object ofmy invention to provide control means which shall; serve to 'retain T the parts of the: spring roller in operative It is another object of my inventionto provide control means which are easily operable, positive inengagement, butreadilyadjustable to vary the tension when desired;

It is still another object 'of'my invention sive tolconstruct anddo not add appreciably to the cost of the roll screen.

I These and other objects of my invention, which will be apparent upon reading these specifications,; I accomplish, bythat certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I, shall now describe apreferred em- I jSrsiNeRQPiEs- WO IN DEWGE In the drawings:

V Figure 2 is aQperspective roller. t v Figure 3 shows the'end of the roller housing with my controlling means in place. Figure 4: is'the movable washer. l Figure 5 is the fixed washer. ,o

Spring rollersgcommonly comprise a metalliccylindricalmember with a channel 2' the spring bodiment, reference beingihad to the drawings' accompanying these spec ficatlons'.

therein' for the attachmentof the 'fscreen.

cloth 3. Metal plugs or closure members; 4. ands. are fitted into each, end of the cylinder and may be heldin place therein, in any manner. desired. 1 These'plugs are bored centrally to receive the shaft .5 about which i the roller rotates. A coil spring 6 surrounds the shaft. One end of it, 7, is brought through atholeS in the cylinder andbe'nt over so that 'thisend of the springis effec shaft so that it is eflfectuallypr'evented from 'rotatingwith respect. to' the shaft. It will now'beclear that the roll propermay rotate I with respect to the shaft, butonly against the resilienceof the spring 6. V 1 V The slot v10 in the "shaft terminates within the cyhnderjust beyond the plug land the bent over end 7 of the spring, passing through. the slot and abutting the end therea manner hereinafter to be described.

a The roller is mounted 1n a; housing having box-like enclosing section 11 and end members 12 and 12?; The section 11 is commonly made of asingle piece of metal bent to form four sides with a slot or opening 13' for of, forms a shoulder or stop to prevent the. removal ofthe shaft from the cylinder to- One purpose of my controlling; mechanism is to hold the parts in operative relationship andtopreventtheremoval'of the-shaft, in j scribed.

the passage of the screen at the juncture of two sides. The end members have bent up.

of the box section into which it fits are pro vided with holes for the passage'of the bolts 16,1so that after the assembly of the roller in the housing, the end member 12? may be. inserted and bolted in place. It will be un derstood that the end members 12 and 12 are perforated to receive the ends of the shaft. L a a I To the member 12, on the outside, I fasten a fixed washer 17, perforated to receive the shaft, and provided withtongues bent so as to have their ends parallel to, but offset from the plane of the washerby the thickness of a second washer hereinafter to be de- The washer 17 may conveniently be attached to the member 12 by spotweldbut it is to be noted that I may otherwise attach the washer, or instead of using a washer, "I may strike the tongues 18 up from the body of the end member 12. The use of a separate washer is advantageous and preferable because it makes possible the use of heavier metal in the tongues 18 (which have to stand considerable strain) than it is convenient tojuse in the end member itself.

I next provide a second or slidably movable washer 19 having notches 20 to admit the tongueslS, 'and'formin g shoulders 21 against which the ofiset portions 18 of the tongues may bear to prevent rotation of the washer. The portions opposite the shoulders 21 are tapered off as at 22 to facilitate the engagement thereof underthe tongues 18. This washer is also perforated to receive the end 23 of theshaft as at 2%; but the perforation is traversed'by an integral solid rib 25. The end 23 of the shaft is slotted as at 26; and the rib fits into the slot so the" washer 19 is slidably but not r'otatably mounted upon the shaft.

The various parts are assembled in operative relation as is shown in section in Figurel and in perspective in Figure 3. Ashas already been explained, the washer 17 1s secured to the end closure member 12 and the washer 19 engages the shaft and overlies the washer 17. It will be clear that if a key or handle be attached to the en'd'23 of the shaft 5, that the shaft may be rotated in been accomplished, the washer 19 may be pushed or allowed to fall back against the washer 17 and the chamfered portions 22 will engage beneath the tongues'18' and ro- 'tation inacounter-clockwise direction will be-impossiblel In this way a preliminary tension is built up in the spring6, since the screen 3 holds the cylindrical member 1 against rotation. This is true whether the screen be withdrawn from the housing or not, since, when it is retracted into the housing to'its fullest extent, a draw bar (not shown) lies outside the housing and against the slot, preventing a further movement of the screen. Furthermore, the washer 19 preiv nts the. ro atien o the h ft du ing t withdrawal ofthe scre'en from the housing, and after tls ithdrawn.

When the portions 22 are engaged beneath .thetongue 18, it will be obvious that the washer 19 will beheld in contact with the Washer 17 and prevented from longitudinal motion along the shaft; I terminate the slot 26 in the end 23 of theshaft just. inside the housing. If an attempt be made to remove the shaft toward theleft in Figure 1, the bar 25 will inhibit such withdrawal as soon as it abuts the end of the slot 26., Thus the washer 19 not only serves to prevent the rotation of the shaft butalso' to prevent its endwise withdrawal inone directionv and thus to hold the parts in operative relationship. "Various modifications of my invention may be made by those skilled in'the art without departing fromthespirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what. I claim as, new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1'. In a controlling'device forspri-ng rollers, a shaft, a support through which said shaft extends, a membermounted on said" shaft to rotate therewith, and engaging meanson said support to engage said rotatable member to. prevent the rotation thereof and to prevent the longitudinal movement thereof along said shaft.

2. Controlling means for spring rollers comprising a shaft and support therefor, a

.non-revolvableimember vaffixed to. said support, amember on said shaft to rotate there with in relation to said fixed member, an

engaging means. on said fixed member to inhibit said rotation and to prevent longitudinal movement-of said member on said shaft. 3. Controlling means for spring rollers comprising a shaft supp t hfi a non-revolvablef member affixedto said support, a member-on said shaft to rotate there with in relation to said fixed member, and

engaging means on said fixed member to in-.

hibit said rotation and to. prevent longitudinal movement of saidmember onsaid shaft, said means comprising tongues offset from said fixed member and portions in said rotatable member adapted tobe engaged by said tongues.

4.. In a controlling device for roll closures,

a shaft and a support therefona member on said shaft revolvab'le t'herewith and comprising a washer with notches therein,

tongues affixed to saidsupport and adapted to extend through the notches in said washer and to overlie said washer when in. engaged posltlon wherebythe rotation of sald washer is inhibited and whereby the withdrawalof said washer from said support is inhibited.

5. In a controlling device for'roll closures, a shaft and a support therefor, a fixed washer on said support having tongues, a movable washer on said shaft having notches to be engaged bysaid tongues, said movablewasher non-rotatable but slidable with respect to said shaft.

6. In a controlling device for roll closures, I a shaft and a support therefor, a fixed washer on'said support having tongues, a movable washer on said shaft having notches to be engaged by said tongues, said movable washer non-rotatable but slidable with respect to said shaft, and stop means limiting endwise movement of said shaft against said movable washer when said washer is engaged by said tongues. 7. In a controlling device for spring rollers, a shaft and a support therefor, a fixed washer having tongues fastened to said support, a movable washer having notches fastened to said shaft so as to be non-rotatable therewith, said shaft having a slot therein and said movable washer having a bar fitting into said slot whereby rotation of said movable washer with respect to said shaft is inhibited.

8. In a controlling devicefor-spring rollers, a shaft and a support therefor, a fixed washer having tongues fastened to said support, a movable washer having notches fastened to said shaft so as to be non-rotatable therewith, said shaft having a slot therein and said movable washer having a bar fitting into said slot whereby rotation of said movable washer with respect to said shaft is inhibited, said tongues offset from said fixed washer a distance equal to the thickness of said movable washer and having portions parallel to said fixed washer said portions adapted to engage portions of said movable washer whereby movement of said washers away from each other is inhibited when they are in engaged position, said slot in said shaft terminating in an abutment engaging said bar whereby, when said washers are engaged, longitudinal movement of said shaft in one direction is inhibited.

IVILLIAM F. HECKMAN. 

